Celebrating our 16th Blast on The Bay in 2026, Florida’s Gulf Coast premier boutique songwriters festival!

Blast on the Bay Songwriters’ Festival 2026

Four days. Dozens of songwriters. Some of the best little listening rooms, restaurants, bars, parks and waterfront spots on Florida’s Forgotten Coast.

Blast on the Bay returns October 15–18, 2026, for another unforgettable weekend of songs, stories and the people who wrote them.

Each October, songwriters from Nashville and beyond make their way to Port St. Joe for a festival that has become known for something increasingly hard to find: the chance to sit just a few feet away from incredibly talented writers and hear the stories behind the songs.

No giant arena. No seat three hundred yards from the stage.

At Blast on the Bay, you may find yourself sitting in a local pub, on a waterfront patio or under the Florida sky listening to a songwriter explain how a song came together — and then play the version that existed before the rest of the world ever heard it.

For 2026, we’re expecting around 40 songwriters and performers throughout the weekend, including returning Blast favorites and plenty of new faces making their first trip to the Forgotten Coast. This year’s confirmed lineup already includes Kendell Marvel, Tim Buppert, Jason Byrd, Brian White, Jesse Rice, Karen Waldrup, Jimmy Miller, Jeff Silvey, Lauren Spring, Lee Newton and many more — with additional artists still being announced.